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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. present — there
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — a position
  6. suit — in cards
  7. file — a tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a document
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — the time now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — final
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pound — a weight
  20. last — finally
  21. suit — clothes
  22. file — a line of people
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — to succeed

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