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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: spell · track · foot · stick · arm · dip · kid · net

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. net — for catching
  5. spell — letters
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. track — to keep track
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a path
  16. kid — child
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. foot — a measure
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. track — a song
  24. kid — to tease

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