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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bass — low music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — a match
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — shares
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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