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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 · bark · fall · ball · bay · coach · jam · mine

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — magic
  3. fall — the season
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fall — to drop
  24. jam — in traffic

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