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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. swing — to play on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — the season
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — of water
  22. squash — the sport
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a skill

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