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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: racket · spell · temple · roll · hand · bass · object · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spell — letters
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — a law
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. spell — magic
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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