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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.

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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bound — certain
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mug — a cup
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — a position
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mug — a face
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — magic

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