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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a match
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law

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