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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. 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. vault — a safe
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — a position
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rush — hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. 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