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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: pit · spell · suit · pitcher · straw · stick · foot · net

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. net — for catching
  6. spell — letters
  7. pit — a hole
  8. suit — to fit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. net — in sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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