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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · mug · face · field · suit · key · foot · board

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — to confront
  3. foot — a measure
  4. field — farmland
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mug — a face
  8. field — for sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. field — a subject
  11. face — part of the head
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — to point toward
  14. key — in music
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mug — a cup

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