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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: deal · stick · kick · club · rock · spell · ball · lie

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spell — magic
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. club — a group
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — music
  17. kick — in football
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ball — a round shape

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