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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spring — of water
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — the season
  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