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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chair — a leader
  10. game — a match
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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