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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: foot · row · pit · calf · squash · mine · trunk · fine

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — to crush
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — a line
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — the sport
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fine — all right
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — a measure
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mine — belonging to me

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