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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — decided
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitch — completely
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — of ice
  15. track — a song
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. firm — steady
  19. key — in music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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