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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — in music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — a measure
  9. content — happy
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — in control
  13. content — the amount
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. charge — electricity

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