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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ground — a position
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — a company
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pit — a hole
  23. game — a match
  24. foot — the bottom

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