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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spell — magic
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — for sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. court — of law
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a great time

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