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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. foot — a measure
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. clip — a video
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — bread
  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