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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — certain
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rock — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — obliged
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — a song
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a line
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — after costs
  22. foot — a measure
  23. track — a path
  24. foot — the bottom

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