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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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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: cue · pitch · present · pit · leaves · foot · land · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — there
  8. land — ground
  9. cue — for pool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. present — the time now
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — a country
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitch — completely
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cue — a signal
  22. land — to come down
  23. spell — letters
  24. cue — a hint

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