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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.

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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: spell · roll · game · pound · pass · bank · kick · straw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. roll — a list
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pass — a permit
  22. game — a match
  23. spell — letters
  24. pass — to spend 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