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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.

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: key · pop · cue · fine · spell · mark · last · ball

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. last — to go on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — finally
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. last — final

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