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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. field — for sport
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — farmland
  21. cue — a signal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — to tire

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