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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a dance
  5. foot — a measure
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pit — in a race
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fine — all right
  21. cold — not warm
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. calf — a young animal

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