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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: spell · pitcher · fall · bore · spring · season · firm · scale

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — a short time
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — steady
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spell — letters
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. season — of the year
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — decided
  24. bore — to drill

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