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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.

Words on the sheet
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: track · last · season · spell · pit · ball · foot · chair

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. track — a path
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. season — in sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. last — finally
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. season — of the year
  24. chair — a leader

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