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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.

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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: pound · rock · court · ball · pop · mug · saw · spell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. court — of law
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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