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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. swing — music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bound — tied together
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. staff — employees

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