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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spell — magic
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spell — letters
  6. bound — obliged
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. club — a group
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ground — a position
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spell — a short time
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. club — for golf
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — a match

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