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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. toast — bread
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mine — for digging
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hand — help
  21. track — a path
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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