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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: spell · can · foot · pit · bat · kid · kick · stand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — in football
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — to be able to
  15. foot — a measure
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bat — the animal
  24. kid — child

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