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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: mine · arm · chip · object · nail · stem · foot · pit

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — to protest
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mine — for digging

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