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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. foot — a measure
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — for spectators

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