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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a music group
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. band — a ring
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. foot — a measure
  24. key — in music

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