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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bound — certain
  3. suit — in cards
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mark — a trace
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bound — obliged
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mark — a grade
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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