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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rash — hasty
  8. swing — music
  9. spring — of water
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rash — a series
  22. bound — obliged
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — a football final

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