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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — clever
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. firm — a company
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cold — not warm
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. firm — decided
  24. bore — to tire

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