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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: bat · date · spring · bowl · spell · nail · board · toast

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. board — to get on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — of water
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bat — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — the season
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. board — a flat piece

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