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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · pop · row · spell · ball · stock · fall · plane

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — letters
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — magic
  14. row — to paddle
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fall — to drop
  23. row — a line
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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