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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — in a road
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. club — for golf
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stock — goods
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fork — to eat with

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