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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bass — low music
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — a match
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — a weight

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