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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stock — shares
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — a measure
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — happy
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. season — in sport
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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