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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. key — for a lock
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — a path
  15. stem — to come from
  16. track — a song
  17. key — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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