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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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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — an aim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. object — a thing
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. charge — electricity
  12. can — to be able to
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. object — to protest
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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