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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — for sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. field — farmland
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — a subject
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — a measure
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — a trace

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