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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 120 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: spring · cue · pit · spell · bark · foot · last · dip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spring — the season
  7. spell — magic
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — a measure
  12. last — final
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. last — finally
  16. spring — of water
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — a short time
  23. last — to go on
  24. spell — letters

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