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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal

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