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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. field — for sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — a subject
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. branch — a division
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a great time

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