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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a hole
  4. track — to keep track
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — in a race
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. row — a line
  13. track — a path
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. row — to paddle
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — a measure

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