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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — the season
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. firm — a company
  12. spring — of water
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — decided

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