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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — to visit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — music

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