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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: ball · rock · chest · track · toast · spell · bulb · roll

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ball — a dance
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. roll — a list
  6. toast — bread
  7. track — a path
  8. chest — a box
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — music
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. spell — magic

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