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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — a position
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. court — of a king
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — shares
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stock — goods
  24. spell — letters

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