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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: object · stock · last · spell · nail · deal · bowl · game

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. stock — goods
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. last — final
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spell — a short time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — shares
  20. game — a match
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — magic
  24. deal — an agreement

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