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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bound — certain
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stock — shares
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spell — letters
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. game — a match
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stand — to bear

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