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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bound — certain
  20. roll — a cake
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — obliged
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mark — a trace

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