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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. foot — a measure
  15. content — the amount
  16. stem — to come from
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — to tire
  19. object — to protest
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — shares

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