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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. court — of a king
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mark — a trace
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. court — of law
  12. roll — a cake
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bound — certain
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — a list
  24. rest — what's left

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