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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. shower — rain
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mine — for digging
  22. foot — a measure
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — of a river

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