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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — there
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fine — high quality
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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