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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: bay · spell · rock · land · pitcher · bat · ball · staff

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — a country
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — music
  24. land — to come down

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