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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: march · spell · bear · court · club · safe · pitcher · jam

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — for sport
  7. march — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. club — for dancing
  11. court — of a king
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of law
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. jam — a tight spot

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