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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — letters
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. season — in sport
  15. pop — music
  16. season — of the year
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — a short time
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — to keep track

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