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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — wild animals
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. game — a match
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fine — all right
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wake — a trail

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