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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — to come down
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — of a river
  17. net — after costs
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. foot — part of the body

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