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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pop — music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — to visit
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — a group
  11. field — a subject
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — for sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pop — soda
  24. fan — a supporter

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