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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kid — to tease
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rule — a law
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. kid — child
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. squash — to crush
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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