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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: pop · march · game · pass · bound · nail · spell · toast

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — bread
  11. pop — music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. game — a match
  14. pop — soda
  15. march — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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