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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bound — obliged
  4. roll — a cake
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — boats
  9. chip — for betting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — of the year
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — certain

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