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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — a measure
  4. row — a line
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. key — for a lock
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. season — in sport
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. season — of the year
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. row — to paddle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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