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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. track — a path
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fine — all right
  10. spell — magic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. track — a song
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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