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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fork — in a road
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. last — to go on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. last — finally
  24. fork — a garden tool

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