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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: spell · foot · land · kick · mouse · ground · club · degree

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spell — magic
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — the earth
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ground — a position
  16. kick — in football
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — ground
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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