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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
468
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: row · spell · pit · snap · ball · press · foot · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pit — in a race
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pit — a hole
  7. scale — in music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spell — a short time
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spell — magic
  12. row — a line
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — letters
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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