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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.

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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: saw · ball · mark · rush · game · roll · spell · cabinet

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — hurry
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — magic
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — a grade
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — letters
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — a cake
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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