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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 120 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: foot · bat · track · spell · court · rush · lean · rest

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — a path
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lean — thin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spell — magic
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — to keep track
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. court — of a king
  24. spell — letters

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