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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — tied together
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — size or range
  18. clip — a video
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — obliged
  21. club — a group
  22. ball — a dance
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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