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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — letters
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — the time now
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. degree — an amount
  21. scale — in music
  22. present — there
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — to be able 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