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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. root — of a word
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. can — a tin

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