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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · bound · wake · deal · rest · game

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — a break
  5. game — a match
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — a trail
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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