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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — humankind
  9. scale — in music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. race — the arms race
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — a contest
  16. present — there
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — the bottom

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