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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. object — a thing
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — in a road
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a document

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