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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — certain
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — a song
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. suit — to fit
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. craft — boats
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. capital — money
  24. mine — for digging

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