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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — the most important part
  4. present — the time now
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. game — a match
  7. present — there
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — after costs
  13. key — in music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. snap — to click
  20. game — wild animals
  21. foot — a measure
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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