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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — to tease
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — in sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. charge — electricity
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — of the year
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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