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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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