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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — obliged
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pass — a permit
  16. spring — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spell — letters
  20. spring — of water
  21. roll — a list
  22. bound — certain
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bowl — a dish

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