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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — to recline
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a city
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a song
  14. foot — a measure
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — a weight
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. capital — money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — a short time

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