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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. current — happening now
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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