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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spell — letters
  4. firm — decided
  5. spell — magic
  6. firm — a company
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. court — of a king
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. cue — for pool
  12. craft — boats
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a signal
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — a short 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