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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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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — certain
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cap — a hat
  11. snap — to click
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — all right
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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