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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: leaves · face · ground · roll · spell · suit · pitcher · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — magic
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fork — in a road
  12. face — to confront
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ground — a position
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — to fit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. face — part of the head
  24. roll — a list

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