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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. craft — boats
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to drill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pop — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. craft — a skill
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — of water
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. craft — a handicraft

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