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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — money
  14. squash — to crush
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spell — a short time
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — a city
  24. ball — a great 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