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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. toast — bread
  9. cap — a lid
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. capital — a city
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. net — for catching
  16. mine — for digging
  17. capital — money
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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