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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chest — a box
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fine — all right
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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