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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: spell · roll · pit · mouse · nail · perch · fine · bat

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fine — all right
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — magic
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bat — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bat — for baseball

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