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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: spell · ball · cell · club · can · plane · hand · pound

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. spell — letters
  20. can — to be able to
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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