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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — magic
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — to protest
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. object — a thing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. racket — a loud noise

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