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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. present — there
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. foot — a measure
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hand — help
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — rain
  24. prune — to trim

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