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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 · object · rule · wound · can · bass · pit · ball

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. object — to protest
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bass — low music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — government
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. object — an aim
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — a law

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