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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. kick — in football
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — to bear
  20. root — of a word
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. root — of a plant
  24. capital — a city

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