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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rock — music
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. suit — clothes
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rash — a series
  18. key — for a lock
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — on your feet

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