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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. object — an aim
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pop — soda
  9. object — a thing
  10. pop — music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. file — a document
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. file — a line of people
  20. object — to protest
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a tool

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