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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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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 · bat · bay · foot · fork · mark · rest · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — in a road
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. capital — a city
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bat — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bat — in an idiom

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