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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bound — tied together
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — army training
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — to get on
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. drill — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — a practice
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — certain
  24. track — a path

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