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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — an aim
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — a law
  12. field — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. face — to confront
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — a thing
  19. field — a subject
  20. mug — a cup
  21. march — music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mug — a face

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