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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. present — there

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