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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. bat — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — tied together
  18. track — a song
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — a position
  22. wake — a trail
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bat — for baseball

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