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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ground — crushed
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ground — the earth

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