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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — a match
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — a video

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