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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 · row · perch

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

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spring — the season
  6. dip — to sink
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — in a road
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — crushed
  14. row — a line
  15. spell — magic
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spring — a coil
  18. row — to paddle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ground — a position
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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