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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — child
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a list
  7. press — newspapers
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — for betting
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fork — in a road
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kid — to tease

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