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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — a lid
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. sharp — clever

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