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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rest — a break
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — low music

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