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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rock — music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. staff — employees
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spell — letters
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. spell — a short time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. track — a path
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — a list
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — employees
  24. track — a song

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