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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: object · rock · current · toast · ground · spell · wound · deal

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spell — letters
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — magic
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. current — of water
  12. ground — a position
  13. rock — a stone
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — a big deal

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