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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. roll — a list
  6. net — after costs
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. file — a line of people

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