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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. snap — to click
  8. cell — in biology
  9. field — for sport
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — clever
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — a subject
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — in music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — for weighing

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