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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: pitcher · key · foot · stand · spell · last · ball · calf

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — in music
  13. last — final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — to bear
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a dance

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