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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. toast — bread
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. roll — a list
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. foot — a measure
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. face — to confront
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. roll — a cake

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