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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 116 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: bound · squash · march · suit · ball · pop · spell · pitcher

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spell — letters
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — in cards
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — to fit
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bound — obliged
  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