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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wind — to turn a key

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