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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — a practice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — a series
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. mine — an explosive

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