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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — there
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. present — a gift
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stock — shares

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