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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. date — the fruit
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bound — certain

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