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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. game — a match
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fine — high quality
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — to crush
  18. can — a tin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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