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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. last — finally
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — a subject
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. last — final
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — farmland
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — for sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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