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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kid — child
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kid — to tease
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. foot — a measure
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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