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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: firm · spell · rock · swing · game · nail · mark · leaves

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. firm — a company
  4. spell — letters
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. swing — music
  11. rock — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — in golf
  15. firm — decided
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — wild animals

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