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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. capital — money
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — to be able to
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. capital — a city
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — of a king
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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