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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — all right
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fork — in a road
  12. drill — the tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. spell — magic
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. drill — army training
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a great time

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