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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: deal · roll · ball · spell · toast · net · wound · bowl

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. deal — to handle
  7. roll — a list
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — letters
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — a short time
  18. net — after costs
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ball — a round shape

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