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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 120 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: game · cue · nail · bowl · spell · staff · deal · pound

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pound — a weight
  5. game — a match
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spell — magic
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pound — for dogs

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