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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 116 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: dip · cabinet · shower · pit · ball · field · spell · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — a subject
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. field — farmland
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stand — to bear

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