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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spring — the season
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spring — of water
  17. mark — a trace
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a lid
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — of ice

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