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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — to eat
  6. row — a line
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — ground
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. land — a country
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — an aim
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. land — to come down
  22. row — to paddle
  23. chip — for betting
  24. foot — the bottom

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