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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — a hat
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. last — final
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. last — finally
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — a signal
  14. march — music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. dip — to sink
  17. last — to go on
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — the bottom

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