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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: pit · mate · spell · track · patient · ball · bass · foot

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — a song
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a dance
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mate — to breed
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bass — low music

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