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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — a path
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. object — a thing
  11. pitch — completely
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — an aim
  18. foot — the bottom

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