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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spell — magic
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. march — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — a short time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — the animal

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