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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ground — a position
  6. foot — a measure
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ground — crushed
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rest — a break
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fork — to eat with

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