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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. capital — a city
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. capital — money
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. foot — a measure

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