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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — in music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — the most important part
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. track — a path
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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