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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · leaves · current · wind · bay · mark · bat · pitcher

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — of water
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mark — a grade
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mark — a trace
  24. current — happening now

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