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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
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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: foot · spell · fine · cap · pit · season · firm · key

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. season — in sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. firm — a company
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — letters
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — in a race
  17. key — in music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. key — for a lock
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. firm — decided

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