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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: spell · spring · rash · ball · rule · net · mark · hand

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — the season
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spring — a coil
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rule — government
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spring — of water
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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