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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 120 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: mark · coach · deal · ball · spell · cell · lie · track

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spell — letters
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. track — a path
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a great time

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