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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — of water
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spring — the season
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a path

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