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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. object — an aim
  4. net — after costs
  5. object — to protest
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — in sport
  10. court — for sport
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — of a king
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — of law
  24. foot — a measure

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