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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — goods
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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