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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bound — certain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of a king
  18. bound — obliged
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. court — of law
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. saw — the tool

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