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

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — to bear
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. track — a path
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a song
  24. key — the most important part

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