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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rash — a series
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. shower — to wash
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pit — in a race
  19. shower — rain
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. foot — a measure
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — hasty

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