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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — the most important part
  6. object — to protest
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. capital — money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bound — tied together
  23. capital — a city
  24. pound — to hit hard

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