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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — a song
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bass — the fish
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — to eat with

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