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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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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cue — for pool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. key — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mug — to rob
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a face
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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