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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: spell · stock · squash · kid · present · ball · bass · foot

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kid — to tease
  3. spell — letters
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. kid — child
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — low music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. foot — a measure
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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