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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: mine · spell · game · rush · bore · roll · cap · ball

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spell — letters
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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