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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — a gift
  3. land — ground
  4. press — newspapers
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. land — a country
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. land — to come down
  22. cell — in biology
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — to push

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