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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  3. present — the time now
  4. pop — soda
  5. mug — to rob
  6. net — after costs
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — for catching
  11. bat — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — a face
  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