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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. field — a subject
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ground — crushed
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — a position
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mug — a face
  19. field — farmland
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. field — for sport
  22. file — a document
  23. bore — to tire
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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