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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spring — the season
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — the season
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spring — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bound — obliged

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