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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mug — to rob
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mug — a face
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. drill — army training
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. foot — a measure
  24. jam — in traffic

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