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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spell — magic
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. field — a subject
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spell — letters
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. safe — a strongbox

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