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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: game · roll · pop · rule · fan · spell · cabinet · mate

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rule — government
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rule — a law

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