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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: can · mine · spell · ball · charge · tear · roll · court

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spell — a short time
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — for sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of law
  16. mine — for digging
  17. charge — a price
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — letters
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. court — of a king
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — magic
  24. roll — a cake

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