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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. season — in sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — letters
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. season — of the year
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — magic
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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