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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 116 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: ground · ball · spell · game · cabinet · fork · wax · mark

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a match
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ground — a position
  12. wax — to grow
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — the earth

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