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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: spell · ball · pound · field · staff · lean · pit · rock

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — thin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rock — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — a short time
  10. field — farmland
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spell — letters
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — a subject
  18. ball — a great time
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — magic
  24. lean — to bend

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