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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: root · cell · ball · bowl · bank · club · temple · spell

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. root — of a word
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. root — the cause
  12. spell — letters
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ball — a round shape

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