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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. field — a subject
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. field — for sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — tied together
  12. content — the amount
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. foot — a measure
  17. field — farmland
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pit — in a race
  22. content — happy
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ruler — a monarch

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