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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — to get on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — all right

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