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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a document
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bound — certain
  9. capital — a city
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kid — child
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — a position
  18. capital — money
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — a big letter

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