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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. safe — out of danger

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