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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. swing — in golf
  3. last — to go on
  4. court — for sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pit — in a race
  7. court — of a king
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. last — final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — letters
  13. court — of law
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a partner
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. last — finally
  24. mate — to breed

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