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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spell — magic
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — a song
  16. ground — the earth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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