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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mine — for digging
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fine — high quality
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — to be able to
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — letters
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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