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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 120 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: racket · spell · cell · cabinet · present · mate · pop · track

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — to breed
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — a friend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — the time now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cell — in a prison

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