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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. spring — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — for digging
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. charge — a price
  10. season — in sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. track — to keep track
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — of water
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spring — a coil

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