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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: pop · bound · racket · fan · straw · bay · land · spell

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bound — tied together
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — ground
  9. bound — certain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — music
  13. spell — letters
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. land — to come down
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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