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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. file — a document
  3. chest — of your body
  4. toast — bread
  5. file — a line of people
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — a box
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — goods
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — for tennis

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