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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: hide · spell · court · fork · tear · pop · can · firm

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pop — soda
  3. spell — letters
  4. court — for sport
  5. pop — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. court — of a king
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — steady
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — to be able to
  18. firm — decided
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — of law
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tear — to rip

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