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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — farmland
  3. track — a song
  4. field — for sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. net — in sport
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — letters
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spell — a short time
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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