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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. land — ground
  8. fine — all right
  9. track — a song
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — a country
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — of ice
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — to sink
  19. game — a match
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cap — a hat

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