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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a trace
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. field — a subject
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mine — for digging
  20. roll — a list
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — an explosive

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