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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — boats
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — completely
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — a hint
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. foot — a measure

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