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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — steady
  10. spell — a short time
  11. firm — a company
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. firm — decided
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bound — certain

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