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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. present — there
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — a gift
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — in music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — the time now
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — to sit on

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