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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — a measure
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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