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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — there
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bound — certain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — the time now
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a match

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