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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. date — the fruit
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — a stone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — a measure
  16. drill — army training
  17. bulb — for light
  18. drill — the tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — of ice

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