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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — farmland
  3. spell — letters
  4. bound — tied together
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — decided
  7. bound — certain
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — a subject
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — in a race
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ball — a dance

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