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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pop — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. pop — soda
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of law

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