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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bound — certain
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. court — of a king
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — an aim
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. roll — a list
  20. game — a match
  21. court — of law
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. bank — for money

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