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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: deal · track · arm · spell · ball · bay · bore · net

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — after costs
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a path
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. net — for catching
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — in sport
  18. track — a song
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spell — magic
  24. bore — gave birth

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