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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. game — wild animals
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — a short time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a ring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — letters
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in 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