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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: land · foot · spell · bowl · cue · lie · pound · jam

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lie — to recline
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. land — to come down
  9. spell — magic
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. land — ground
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — letters
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — for pool

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