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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: foot · track · cold · pop · rule · key · nail · cabinet

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cold — an illness
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — not warm
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — a law
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — a song
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rule — government

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