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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — to bear
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. row — a line
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — a trace

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