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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — to eat
  16. season — of the year
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a trace
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — a grade

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