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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. object — an aim
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — a thing
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. object — to protest
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. foot — the bottom

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