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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — there
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spell — letters
  15. dip — to sink
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. present — the time now
  19. cell — a phone
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — a garden tool

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