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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — letters
  7. current — electric
  8. court — of law
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. game — a match
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — of water
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. court — of a king

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