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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. spring — the season
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — a coil
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — music

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