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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spell — magic
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — a short time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. march — music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. march — the month
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bound — certain
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spell — letters

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