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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — the most important part
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pit — a hole
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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