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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spring — of water
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spell — magic
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — to protest
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — in a road
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. spell — letters

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