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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a word
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. perch — the fish
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. toast — bread
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — low music
  20. ground — a position
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. court — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

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