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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the sport
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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