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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — a short time
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fork — in a road
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bat — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — letters
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. club — a group

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