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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. roll — a cake
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. craft — a skill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — a list
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. craft — a handicraft

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