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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fine — high quality
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spell — letters
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — a short time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — all right
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bank — for money

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