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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: ball · spell · bark · season · bay · pop · stand · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — letters
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — in sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — magic
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. season — to add flavour

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