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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — decided
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — letters
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — the season
  11. content — happy
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — a break
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — obliged
  20. content — the amount
  21. spell — magic
  22. firm — steady
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of a king

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