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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — bread
  5. degree — an amount
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. foot — a measure
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ball — a great time
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a dance

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