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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. present — a gift
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — a phone
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ground — a position
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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