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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — a measure
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — hurry
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. march — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. jam — in traffic

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