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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — a hole
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pit — in a race
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. capital — money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — clever
  15. capital — a city
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. foot — a measure
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bore — to drill

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