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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — boats
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. land — ground
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — to come down
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. land — a country
  22. degree — from a university
  23. spell — letters
  24. foot — the bottom

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