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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. object — an aim
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — certain
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. track — a path
  14. court — of law
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. track — a song
  17. season — of the year
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. object — a thing
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — to protest

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