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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — obliged

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