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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — to come down
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — a country
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — ground

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