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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — there
  3. can — to be able to
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — farmland
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — a gift
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hand — help

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