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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — for golf
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bound — certain
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — the earth
  10. track — a song
  11. club — a group
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — tied together
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mug — to rob
  16. season — of the year
  17. ground — crushed
  18. track — a path
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ground — a position
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a document

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