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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spring — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. coach — a trainer

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