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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bound — certain
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — magic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fine — all right
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mine — for digging

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