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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 116 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: row · spell · racket · bowl · face · cabinet · mate · cue

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — to confront
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. spell — letters
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a line
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — magic
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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