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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · fork · deal · ground · spring · spell

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. ground — a position
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — of water

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