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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a path
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. club — for golf
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — to keep track
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — a price
  24. straw — dry grass

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