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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. file — a tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rush — hurry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  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