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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · jam · fork · pitcher · lash · spell · court · mark

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spell — letters

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