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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — letters
  9. track — a path
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — low music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the instrument

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