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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a dance
  6. race — a contest
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. roll — a list
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — clever
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. foot — a measure

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