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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kid — child
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — a gift
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mark — a grade
  15. drill — the tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — there
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. present — the time now
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. foot — a measure
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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