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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. club — for golf
  4. date — the fruit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. bound — certain
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — a gift
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. present — there

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