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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 · bat · ball · suit · spell · toast · stick · board

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. suit — to fit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. toast — bread
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. suit — in cards
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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