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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. game — wild animals
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — magic
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a music group
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a ring
  12. toast — bread
  13. bore — to drill
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — certain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — a tin
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — a tin

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