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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: foot · spell · scale · jam · hide · mine · press · club

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. scale — size or range
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — a group

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