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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: clip · rule · track · spell · board · pound · bowl · temple

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — a law
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — to keep track
  9. clip — a video
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. clip — to cut
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — a path
  22. spell — letters
  23. rule — government
  24. temple — a place of worship

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