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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — magic
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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