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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. foot — a measure
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pit — a hole
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — rain
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — obliged
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — certain

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