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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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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: roll · plane · pitcher · ball · bay · spell · racket · face

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — a cake
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spell — letters
  18. face — to confront
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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