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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. suit — to fit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. suit — clothes
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. net — after costs

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