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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: kid · jam · bat · mark · scale · pit · spell · ball

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kid — child
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ball — a great time
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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