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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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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pop — to visit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pop — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. key — for a lock
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — in music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a trace

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