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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — a thing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mark — a grade
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — thin
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a trace
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — to protest
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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