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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: cap · clip · toast · racket · foot · firm · bay · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. foot — a measure
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — a video
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cap — a hat
  17. toast — bread
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. firm — steady

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