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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. face — part of the head
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. field — a subject
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — in music
  24. game — a match

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