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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. court — of a king
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — of law
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spring — of water
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. court — for sport

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