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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: spell · present · tube · ball · season · mug

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — in sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — in a tire

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