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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 116 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: ball · pound · track · cell · mark · hand · spell · tube

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — help
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — to hit hard

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