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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: rash · court · spell · nail · kick · toast · mine · track

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. spell — letters
  4. court — of a king
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. toast — bread
  8. kick — in football
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. track — a song
  15. mine — for digging
  16. court — for sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. track — to keep track
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. court — of law
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mine — an explosive

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