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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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Word bank
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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 · can · suit · bound · mug · plane · pitcher · kid

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — a tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — a tin

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