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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pop — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — to visit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — the animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — the underground

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