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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: bound · rock · spell · key · spring · bear · ground · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spring — the season
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ground — a position
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spell — magic
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — size or range

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