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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cell — in biology
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. foot — a measure
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — child
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ground — a position

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