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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. march — the month
  21. pound — a weight
  22. march — music
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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