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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · tear · ground · fine · toast · ruler

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. toast — bread
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ground — a position
  18. ruler — for measuring

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