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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cold — not warm
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — of water
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. current — electric
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — to sink
  20. current — happening now
  21. hand — help
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bass — the instrument

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