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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — the season
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pop — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bear — to put up with

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