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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. mine — for digging
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mate — to breed
  8. land — a country
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. land — to come down
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — to get on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — ground

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