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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 · cell · board · chest · pitcher · foot · temple · pound

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — a committee
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chest — a box
  13. foot — a measure
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — the bottom

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