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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — obliged
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — of law
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mouse — for a computer

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