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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. last — finally
  4. pop — music
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pop — to visit
  8. board — a committee
  9. last — to go on
  10. pop — soda
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. last — final
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. board — to get on
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — of a river

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