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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. last — final
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — the time now
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — for a lock

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