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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.

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: ball · spell · season · rush · pitch · plane · roll · cabinet

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. roll — a list
  17. ball — a great time
  18. season — of the year
  19. spell — letters
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — a short time
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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