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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. field — a subject
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kid — child
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — farmland
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — music

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