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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — to keep track
  4. roll — a list
  5. foot — a measure
  6. roll — a cake
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — happy
  12. scale — in music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. scale — size or range
  16. content — the amount
  17. mate — a friend
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — a path

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