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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — a short time
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pop — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — all right
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — to visit

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