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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — there
  4. foot — a measure
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — for betting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — a gift
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — an agreement

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