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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: spell · cell · fine · pop · pound · ball · wave · fan

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — soda
  24. fine — all right

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