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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bore — to drill
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bore — to tire
  19. key — for a lock
  20. clip — a video
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. key — in music
  24. clip — for paper

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