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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. kid — to tease
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. capital — money
  17. net — after costs
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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