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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 120 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: pound · spell · bat · stick · arm · ball · deal · mark

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spell — letters
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ball — a great time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bat — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spell — a short time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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