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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 116 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: pass · stick · dip · ball · saw · spell · bat · field

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. field — for sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. spell — magic
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ball — a dance
  18. field — farmland
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — a short time

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