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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 116 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: last · net · rest · pound · spell · bay · game · deal

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. last — to go on
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. last — final
  13. deal — to handle
  14. last — finally
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rest — what's left
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. pound — a weight
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — a break

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