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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. content — happy
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. content — the amount
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. toast — bread

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