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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pop — soda
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spring — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pop — music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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