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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 120 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: pit · spell · bear · rock · pitcher · court · wound · hide

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — magic
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — of law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — for sport
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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