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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. court — for sport
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. firm — steady
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. firm — decided
  13. rock — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. face — to confront
  17. bound — tied together
  18. face — to point toward
  19. court — of a king
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. face — part of the head
  24. court — of law

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