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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: stick · present · spell · mark · key · bowl · firm · bat

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — magic
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spell — letters
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — in music
  13. mark — a grade
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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