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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — soda
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chest — a box
  12. capital — a city
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — money
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — music

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