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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — of water
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. swing — to play on
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — obliged
  13. swing — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — in golf
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a great time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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