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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — a measure
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. present — there
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a trace
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — the underground
  19. present — a gift
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mark — to pay attention

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