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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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · coach · spell · file · bowl · jam · roll · fork

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. spell — a short time
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. drill — a practice
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — army training
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a document
  23. roll — a cake
  24. jam — a tight spot

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