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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 · pop · deal · leaves · spell · spring · can · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — magic
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — music
  13. court — of a king
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spell — letters

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