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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 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 found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — certain
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — in music
  18. mate — a friend

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