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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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Word bank
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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: sharp · jam · leaves · foot · fine · land · bore · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. land — to come down
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — a country
  11. squash — the sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fine — high quality
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fine — all right
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. land — ground
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — a measure

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