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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · last · club · spell · can · trunk · mark · kid

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. last — to go on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — to be able to

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