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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: mate · last · foot · spell · pit · key · rest · squash

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a hole
  4. squash — to crush
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — to breed
  11. last — to go on
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. squash — the sport
  18. last — final
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — finally
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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