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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
468
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 · chair · land · cell · nail · pass · track · bat

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. cell — a phone
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to spend 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