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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. key — for a lock
  3. object — an aim
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rest — a break
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — in music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — high quality
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — in music

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