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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.

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: roll · racket · bowl · fan · field · spell · swing · can

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. swing — to play on
  6. field — for sport
  7. swing — music
  8. field — a subject
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. roll — a list
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. field — farmland

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