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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — for sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. toast — bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to confront
  20. stand — to bear
  21. track — a song
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. face — part of the head

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