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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. file — a tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — goods

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