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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
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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: spell · mate · club · press · ruler · scale · cold · racket

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cold — not warm
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — newspapers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — a group
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — in music
  16. cold — an illness
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — for golf
  24. press — to push

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