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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cell — in biology
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of a king
  13. track — a song
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — a signal
  19. court — for sport
  20. ground — a position
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mine — belonging to me

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