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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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