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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. kid — to tease
  6. foot — a measure
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kid — child
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — to go on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. last — final

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