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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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. land — a country
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — a hint
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — a position
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bound — certain
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. branch — a division
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. kid — child
  24. ground — crushed

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