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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mark — a trace
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ball — a dance
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — a country
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. land — to come down

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