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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — in music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — a city
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bound — obliged

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