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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — a lid
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — for digging
  7. field — farmland
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — for sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cap — a hat
  13. current — of water
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. pitch — completely
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. sharp — exactly

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