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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — shares
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — exactly

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