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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — the season
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a song
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitcher — a jug

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