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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. toast — bread
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. net — in sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chest — a box
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. net — for catching
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stem — to come from

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