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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rock — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cold — not warm
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. current — electric
  24. mark — a grade

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