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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 120 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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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 · bulb · bowl · swing · pound · temple · spell · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spell — letters
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bulb — for light
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. spell — a short time
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — in golf

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