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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. court — of law
  3. bore — to tire
  4. present — a gift
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. court — of a king
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — letters
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — for sport
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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