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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — a price
  3. track — a song
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — a path
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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