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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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468
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. field — a subject
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — a group
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — for golf
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ruler — a monarch

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