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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — part of the head
  3. toast — bread
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a line
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — to keep track
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — a path
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pound — a weight

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