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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: fine · bore · trunk · track · kid · foot · stick · key

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bore — to tire
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. key — in music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bore — to drill

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