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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: hand · key · bank · last · foot · suit · pound · race

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — a contest
  9. key — for a lock
  10. last — final
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — the most important part
  15. race — humankind
  16. last — to go on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. last — finally
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. key — in music

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