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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — of the year
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a dance
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to click
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. scale — in music
  24. wound — an injury

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