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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — music
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — to visit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pop — soda
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ground — a position
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mug — a cup

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