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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — final
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ball — a dance
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. scale — in music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. craft — boats
  23. bound — certain
  24. last — to go on

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