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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · pass · mine · cap · bear · pit · spell · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — magic
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cap — a lid

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