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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. bound — certain
  16. band — a ring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lean — thin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. game — a match
  24. swing — in golf

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