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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spell — letters
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bound — certain
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — magic
  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