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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. drill — a practice
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. foot — a measure
  19. march — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wake — a trail

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