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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — to come down
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a ring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — certain
  24. land — a country

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