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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 120 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
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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: spell · bowl · tube · ball · bank · track · rash · cell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — in biology
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a path
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — for money

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