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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: pit · object · scale · fork · spell · toast · racket · sharp

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — a hole
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — to protest
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. scale — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — size or range
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — a thing
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — in a race
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — a loud noise

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