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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · ball · clip · squash · stick · land · spell · bank

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — to come down
  6. clip — a video
  7. land — a country
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — ground
  16. cue — for pool
  17. spell — magic
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a dance
  24. squash — the sport

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