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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — a gift
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — the earth
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — a position
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — there
  24. foot — part of the body

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