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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: stick · spell · sharp · present · game · club · pop · saw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — a group
  4. pop — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — there
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — the time now
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — letters
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. game — a match
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — clever

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