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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: racket · kick · lean · bore · mark · foot · ground · toast

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — a trace
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — thin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mark — a grade
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ground — the earth

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