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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pop — soda
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. scale — in music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mine — for digging
  16. foot — a measure
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pop — to visit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pop — music

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