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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — in sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — certain
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — obliged
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a ring

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