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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a great time
  9. race — humankind
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bound — obliged
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. plane — a tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. ball — a dance
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — to crush
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spell — a short time

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