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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — completely
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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