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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · spell · pop · pitch · bound · mine · temple · mouse

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mine — for digging
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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