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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — help
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fine — all right
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — crushed
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. foot — a measure
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — the earth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — high quality

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