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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fork — in a road
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — in music
  19. field — for sport
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. craft — boats

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