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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — part of the body

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