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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: racket · spring · band · spell · suit · deal · wind · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spring — of water
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spring — the season
  12. band — a music group
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spell — magic
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spell — letters
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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