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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — finally
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — soda
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — a position
  17. last — final
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ground — the earth
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — exactly

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