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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — a series
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. court — for sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. foot — part of the body

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