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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: last · object · dip · club · racket · spell · file · ball

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. last — finally
  6. club — a group
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — letters
  13. file — a tool
  14. last — final
  15. spell — magic
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — a thing
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. spell — a short time

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