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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a line
  9. foot — a measure
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — a hole
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pit — in a race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — crushed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ground — a position

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