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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rest — a break
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — a measure
  24. racket — for tennis

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