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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fine — high quality
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fine — all right
  8. row — a line
  9. race — the arms race
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — to paddle
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — a grade
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. foot — a measure

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