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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. row — to paddle
  3. game — wild animals
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chest — a box
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chest — of your body
  10. net — for catching
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. net — after costs
  15. rest — a break
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. row — a line
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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