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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — for sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of a king
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. roll — a list
  9. spell — letters
  10. swing — to play on
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kick — in football
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. swing — music
  19. court — of law
  20. suit — in cards
  21. content — happy
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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