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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: staff · pound · bass · stand · pit · craft · spell · last

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — magic
  4. bass — low music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. last — finally
  8. craft — a skill
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pit — a hole
  15. last — final
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — letters
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — boats
  22. last — to go on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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