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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — letters
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — to protest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spell — a short time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — help
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — a football final

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