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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — the earth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — in control
  15. ground — a position
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — to grow
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. spell — letters
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. charge — a price

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