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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spell — magic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — letters
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — in traffic

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