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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: march · bay · scale · spell · stick · spring · club · racket

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — of water
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for golf
  12. scale — in music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. club — a group
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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