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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — army training
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — the amount
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — a practice
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — in music

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