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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 116 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: pit · cue · rest · spring · charge · straw · fork · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. spring — the season
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — in a road

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