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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: ball · spell · toast · field · rule · snap

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. field — a subject
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. spell — magic
  6. snap — to click
  7. rule — government
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. field — farmland
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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