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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bound — obliged
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. court — for sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — of a king
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bound — certain
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — a grade

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