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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: ball · spell · cue · nail · mouse · saw · spring · present

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spell — a short time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spell — magic
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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