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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — soda
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a great time
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. bark — to shout
  12. roll — a cake
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — obliged
  15. roll — a list
  16. spell — letters
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bound — tied together
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — a short time
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ball — a dance

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