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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ground — a position
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — for golf
  14. spell — letters
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire

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