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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bat — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pop — soda
  15. board — a committee
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. board — to get on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cold — not warm

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