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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: ball · bound · bear · object · toast · land · mark · spell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spell — letters
  4. land — a country
  5. object — to protest
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. object — a thing
  11. ball — a great time
  12. land — to come down
  13. spell — a short time
  14. object — an aim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. mark — a trace
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — magic
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bear — the animal

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