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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. firm — a company
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. staff — a stick
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — of water
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. spring — a coil
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. firm — decided
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bowl — a dish

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