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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. spell — letters
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spell — magic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — a short time
  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