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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: cue · stick · bound · spell · swing · mark · cabinet · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. spell — letters
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — a signal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — tied together
  20. season — in sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cabinet — ministers

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