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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. net — in sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pop — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pop — soda
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — a trainer

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