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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. object — an aim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cap — a hat
  18. object — to protest
  19. spell — magic
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — of ice
  22. object — a thing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mug — a face

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