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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spell — magic
  3. drill — army training
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ground — crushed
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — letters
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. court — for sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stock — shares
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. court — of a king
  19. stock — goods
  20. drill — the tool
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. stock — a soup base

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