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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. rush — hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — a subject
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stand — to bear

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