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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of law
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. court — for sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. court — of a king

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