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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. object — an aim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bank — of a river
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bound — certain
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — a thing
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — to protest
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ground — a position
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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