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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. band — a music group
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — a series
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. object — to protest

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