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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — of the year
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cold — an illness
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. suit — clothes
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mate — to breed
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cold — the Cold War

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