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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. field — for sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a dance
  16. field — a subject
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — farmland
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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