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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — a permit
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — child
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. foot — a measure
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. current — happening now
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — of water
  20. kid — to tease
  21. march — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. jam — a tight spot

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