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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cap — of ice
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — farmland
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a document
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. file — a tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a dance

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