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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
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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: bowl · ball · spell · safe · track · degree · rock · deal

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ball — a dance
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bowl — a football final

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