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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — to breed
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bass — low music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mate — a friend
  19. can — to be able to
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — a partner

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