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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pass — a permit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — boats
  19. hand — in cards
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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