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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. face — part of the head
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. court — of a king
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — the amount
  20. face — to confront
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. track — to keep track
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fall — the season

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