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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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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: spell · bore · mouse · pitch · game · can · cell · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bound — certain

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