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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. track — a path
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ground — a position
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ground — the earth

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