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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spring — of water
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — of a king
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — the earth
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mine — for digging
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — a trace

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