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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. clip — for paper
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tube — a container
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pit — a hole
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. clip — to cut
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. face — to confront

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