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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — in cards
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. fine — all right
  11. suit — to fit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fine — high quality
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ground — crushed
  20. band — a music group
  21. suit — clothes
  22. capital — money
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — a penalty

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