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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. march — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — the bottom

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