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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 120 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. game — a match
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. foot — a measure
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fork — in a road
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — part of the body
  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