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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. land — to come down
  8. hand — help
  9. land — a country
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — in music

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