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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. 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