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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ground — crushed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — magic
  11. roll — a list
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. suit — to fit
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ground — a position

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