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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. season — in sport
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — the season
  8. bound — certain
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — of water
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. present — the time now
  21. bear — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. present — a gift

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