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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: toast · cabinet · spell · rule · season · game · ball · rock

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. spell — letters
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rule — government
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. spell — magic
  8. rule — a law
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a match
  17. rock — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. game — wild animals

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