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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: foot · land · object · squash · pass · jam · mug · spell

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. object — a thing
  3. pass — a permit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. land — a country
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — to crush
  12. object — to protest
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — magic
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the vegetable

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