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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: pop · ball · spell · bound · pitcher · temple · rush · track

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — obliged
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. track — a path
  24. pop — soda

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