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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. branch — a division
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — a group
  14. ground — a position
  15. current — happening now
  16. foot — a measure
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — a series
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rash — hasty

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