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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 · fall · cabinet · racket · mug · track · game · roll

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. game — a match
  3. spell — letters
  4. track — a path
  5. spell — magic
  6. fall — to drop
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mug — a face
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — a short time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. roll — a list
  20. track — a song
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — to keep track

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