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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stand — to bear
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — to come down
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. perch — the fish
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. land — ground

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