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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. roll — a list
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. net — for catching
  20. roll — a cake
  21. swing — music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — after costs

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