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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: leaves · chair · spell · season · ball · stand · roll · track

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ball — a dance
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. track — a song
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — letters
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — in sport
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. roll — a cake
  24. season — of the year

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