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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. foot — a measure
  7. field — a subject
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — farmland
  14. band — a ring
  15. cue — a signal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — a division
  19. band — a music group
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. shower — rain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — for sport
  24. branch — of a bank

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