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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — a measure
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — a country
  18. content — the amount
  19. land — ground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. land — to come down
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. craft — a skill
  24. content — happy

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