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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: spell · ball · wake · firm · suit · staff · band · pit

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a dance
  13. firm — steady
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — clothes
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. staff — employees

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