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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. capital — money
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. capital — a city

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