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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — a company
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — decided
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. firm — steady
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — a position
  22. bear — the animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. spell — a short time

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