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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mark — a trace
  9. craft — boats
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — after costs
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — for catching
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. foot — the bottom

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