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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
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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: spell · drill · object · roll · land · staff · game · bulb

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — a short time
  9. object — to protest
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — employees
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — a thing
  17. roll — a cake
  18. drill — the tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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