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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — happy
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — in music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stand — on your feet

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