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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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Word bank
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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: mouse · stem · foot · toast · game · lean · pit · chair

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. game — a match
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. toast — bread
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. toast — the most admired

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