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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ground — a position
  10. band — a music group
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. band — a ring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a rubber band

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