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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — soda
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — letters
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. field — for sport
  15. pop — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. field — a subject
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to point toward
  21. field — farmland
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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