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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.

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: toast · clip · current · rest · foot · mug · jam · ground

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ground — a position
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mug — a face
  8. toast — bread
  9. ground — the earth
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. current — electric
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — to cut
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — for paper
  19. current — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. clip — a video

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