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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fine — high quality
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. squash — to crush
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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