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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — in music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. track — a path
  18. key — for a lock

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