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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: foot · pit · mouse · scale · lean · bound · mine · mark

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — size or range
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bound — certain
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — in music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — belonging to me

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