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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. track — a path
  3. land — a country
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — a grade
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — for sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. land — ground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — a subject
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. foot — the bottom

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