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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. club — for golf
  9. season — of the year
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. club — a group
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — there
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bound — obliged
  24. season — in sport

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