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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mark — a grade
  11. snap — to click
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — a lid
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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