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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: land · bowl · can · kick · cap · hide · foot · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — a country
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — in football
  19. cap — a lid
  20. land — to come down
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. foot — a measure

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