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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — a thing
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — goods
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — for a lock

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