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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. row — a line
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. craft — boats
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — a sports field

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