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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mark — a grade
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — a coil
  10. court — of a king
  11. object — to protest
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. object — a thing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — the season
  17. court — of law
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — letters
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — an aim

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