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

Word bank: stand · temple · drill · jam · key · foot · squash · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. key — for a lock
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — a measure
  17. drill — the tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. drill — a practice
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. foot — part of the body

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