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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kick — in football
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. board — a flat piece

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