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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
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: spell · hand · row · vault · pitch · bowl · rash · nail

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — magic
  3. row — a line
  4. rash — a series
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — in cards
  18. vault — a safe
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — help
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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