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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. court — of law
  8. firm — steady
  9. club — for golf
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to click
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — decided
  22. court — of a king
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. club — a group

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