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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: hand · toast · ball · spell · foot · chair · stock · track

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — in cards
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — help
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — to keep track
  17. toast — bread
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. track — a path
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  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