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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spell — magic
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — all right
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. spell — letters
  13. date — the fruit
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. drill — army training
  16. game — wild animals
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — a match
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spell — a short time
  24. can — to be able to

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