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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. capital — a city
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. capital — money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. capital — a big letter

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