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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · spring · track · cap · bass · last · spell · bore

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spring — a coil
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. last — finally
  7. spring — the season
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spring — of water
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — a song
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — magic
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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