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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — shares
  5. foot — a measure
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — in music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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