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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spring — a coil
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spring — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spring — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — the month

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