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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: spell · squash · scale · sharp · bear · mate · jam · pitcher

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — letters
  10. squash — the sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. scale — in music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — size or range
  24. sharp — with an edge

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