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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. nail — on a finger
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — a country
  8. roll — a list
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — ground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bound — certain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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