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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rule — government
  3. spring — of water
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. firm — steady
  19. rule — a law
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. firm — decided
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. firm — a company

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