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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
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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: bark · spell · game · saw · toast · pit · charge · bound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bark — to shout
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — obliged
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. charge — a price
  12. game — wild animals
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spell — a short time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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