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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. track — a song
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — a stick
  10. foot — a measure
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — for digging
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — for betting
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. chest — a box
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — to keep track
  24. can — to be able to

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