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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spell — letters
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. court — for sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spell — a short time
  13. court — of a king
  14. craft — boats
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mate — a friend
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — a partner

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