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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 116 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 · cue · season · root · ball · rash

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a word
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — a signal
  12. root — the cause
  13. cue — a hint
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic

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