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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. foot — a measure
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. club — a group
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a city
  21. cap — a hat
  22. club — for golf
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tear — from crying

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