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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. rash — hasty
  14. craft — a skill
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. game — a match
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — a series
  24. craft — a handicraft

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