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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — the animal

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