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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. race — a contest
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. object — a thing
  23. drill — army training
  24. toast — the most admired

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