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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to click
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — low music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — a list
  24. pass — to succeed

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