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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. toast — bread
  15. season — of the year
  16. court — of law
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. court — of a king
  24. foot — a measure

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