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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — for a lock
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. firm — a company
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — decided
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — to paddle
  14. key — in music
  15. file — a line of people
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a tool
  24. row — a line

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