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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: fork · roll · saw · racket · dip · spell · mug · ground

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fork — in a road
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. roll — a cake
  13. dip — to sink
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — a position
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — a short time
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ground — the earth
  24. dip — a sauce

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