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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — crushed
  8. scale — in music
  9. spring — of water
  10. rule — government
  11. ground — a position
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rule — a law
  14. fine — all right
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ground — the earth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spring — the season

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