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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — the most important part
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — a line
  13. ground — the earth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. file — a tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. file — a line of people
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. file — a document

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