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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a song
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a path
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. content — happy
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. field — a subject
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. track — to keep track
  24. sharp — with an edge

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