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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: fine · date · squash · spring · wake · spell · ball · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ball — a dance
  6. date — the fruit
  7. spell — letters
  8. bear — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fine — all right
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spell — a short time

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