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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — low music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stock — goods
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — the bottom

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