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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hand — in cards
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. club — a group
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fine — all right
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — high quality
  24. club — for dancing

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