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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bound — certain
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bank — of a river
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. mine — an explosive

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