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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — in sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. present — there
  20. foot — a measure
  21. present — a gift
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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