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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 · bay · mate · pound · game · file · roll · nail

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pound — a weight
  4. roll — a cake
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — letters
  16. game — a match
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. roll — a list
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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