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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: tear · firm · net · bore · fan · key · pop · foot

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — soda
  6. net — after costs
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. firm — decided
  10. pop — music
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — in sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — in music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. net — for catching
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tear — from crying
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — steady

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