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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spell — letters
  16. root — the cause
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitcher — a jug

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