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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fall — the season
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. track — a path
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a song
  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