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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. game — a match
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — soda
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cue — a hint
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. cue — for pool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mug — a face
  22. pop — music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. roll — a list

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