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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 120 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 · chest · lie · ball · track · can · racket · nail

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chest — a box
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — magic
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — to recline
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — for tennis

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