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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 120 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: pit · chair · wind · file · foot · mouse · bowl · stem

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pit — in a race
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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