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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bound — tied together
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wake — a trail
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. court — of law
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. court — for sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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