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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: pound · roll · lash · nail · net · spell · court · pop

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. roll — a list
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — magic
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pound — a weight
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. net — for catching
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — after costs

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