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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — there
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — a trace
  10. present — a gift
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. capital — a city

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