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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: ruler · racket · pass · spell · file · board · ball · kid

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — letters
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — child
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kid — to tease
  17. file — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pass — a permit
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a document
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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