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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bore — to tire
  6. foot — a measure
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. toast — bread
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — to fit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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