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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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