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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
468
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 · rest · bowl · can · ball · net · season · bay

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — to be able to
  3. net — in sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rest — a break
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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