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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — soda
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fine — all right
  18. key — for a lock
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. key — in music
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — to visit

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