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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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468
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rash — a series
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — for sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. season — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — magic
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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