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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. track — to keep track
  4. toast — bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a music group
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. band — a ring
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. coach — a trainer

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