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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
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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 · race · leaves · club · row · plane · ball · game

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. race — a contest
  4. game — a match
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a great time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. club — for golf
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. game — wild animals
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. row — a line

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