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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. present — there
  4. game — a match
  5. foot — a measure
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — wild animals
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. branch — a division

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