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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — for a lock
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. deal — to handle
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. key — the most important part
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — in music

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