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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: fall · spell · racket · pound · hand · cap · jam · toast

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cap — a hat
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — in cards
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. hand — help
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — bread
  23. cap — a lid
  24. jam — in traffic

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