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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — in sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — a thing
  6. season — of the year
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. board — to get on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. object — an aim
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. board — a committee
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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