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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — to play on
  8. band — a ring
  9. hand — help
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hand — in cards
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — obliged
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in biology

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