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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — ground
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rush — hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. perch — for a bird

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