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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. snap — to click
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — in a race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. branch — a division
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — of a king
  24. pop — soda

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