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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a song
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. track — a path
  18. present — a gift
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — the time now

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