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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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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: key · dip · foot · cell · swing · ground · firm · cabinet

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cell — in biology
  7. swing — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cell — a phone
  12. key — in music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — a position
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. firm — decided
  24. cell — in a prison

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