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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: saw · club · bank · staff · leaves · mark · spell · ball

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ball — a dance
  13. staff — a stick
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — a group
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — for dancing

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