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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — to protest
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — an aim
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — decided
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — steady
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. firm — a company

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