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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: lie · bat · cap · perch · mug · spell · ball · track

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. mug — a face
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. bat — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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