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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rule — government
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rule — a law
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com