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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rule — a law
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spell — letters
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rule — government
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. game — a match
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. key — the most important part
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — in music
  24. game — a kind of play

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