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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: scale · drill · bat · bowl · spell · ball · safe · stem

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — army training
  22. scale — in music
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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