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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ground — a position
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — the earth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ball — a great time
  22. key — in music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. roll — a list

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