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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pit — a hole
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. net — in sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. net — for catching
  22. track — to keep track
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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