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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ball — a dance
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — of water
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — a coil

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