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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. press — to push
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bound — certain

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