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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a path
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — a trace
  21. track — to keep track
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. foot — a measure
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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