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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — to fit
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a list
  7. present — the time now
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spring — a coil
  11. present — there
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. firm — a company
  14. spring — the season
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chest — a box
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — steady
  21. roll — a cake
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — decided
  24. chest — of your body

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