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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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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: stick · ball · rest · pound · firm · kid · spell · cap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — magic
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — of ice
  14. firm — steady
  15. kid — child
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — a company
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — decided

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