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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: ball · rock · foot · sharp · perch · pitcher · can · spell

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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