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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · land · tear · mark · pit · fork · cell · foot

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. land — to come down
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — ground
  15. cell — in biology
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cell — in a prison

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