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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. foot — a measure
  5. craft — a skill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fine — all right
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — boats
  16. fine — high quality
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a dance

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