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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: squash · spell · fall · club · court · season · bear · bound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — magic
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — for sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. club — for golf
  15. spell — a short time
  16. club — a group
  17. season — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — of the year
  23. bound — certain
  24. bear — to put up with

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