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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: racket · rule · bowl · lash · land · spell · ball · key

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spell — magic
  3. rule — government
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — a law
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — the most important part
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — in music

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