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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — soda
  7. root — the cause
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. root — of a word
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. court — of law
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. court — of a king
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. court — for sport
  24. sharp — clever

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