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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — a break
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — to crush
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stem — to come from

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