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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. field — farmland
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. field — a subject
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. field — for sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — help
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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