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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
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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: court · hide · spell · present · mug · suit · fork · roll

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — there
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — in a road
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. court — of law
  23. roll — a list
  24. fork — to eat with

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