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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. object — a thing
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. track — a path
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bound — tied together
  12. court — of law
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — of a king
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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