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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — of the year
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — soda
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — in sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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