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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.

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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: lash · field · pit · rock · spell · foot · last · club

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. field — farmland
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. last — final
  8. club — for dancing
  9. last — to go on
  10. rock — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pit — a hole
  13. last — finally
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. club — for golf
  18. spell — letters
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — magic
  24. field — a subject

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