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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. land — to come down
  6. sharp — clever
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spell — a short time
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — to get on
  22. swing — music
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — for light

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