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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a path
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. staff — a stick
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kick — in football
  24. drill — a practice

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