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

Word bank: key · hand · kid · fork · foot · can · stick · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. key — in music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — to pay attention

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