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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — to handle
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — in sport
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. capital — money
  24. ball — a round shape

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