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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rock — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — for a lock
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. bound — tied together
  13. board — to get on
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bound — certain
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a committee
  24. file — a tool

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