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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. roll — a list
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — in music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — soda
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. present — a gift
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. craft — boats
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. capital — a city
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — a skill
  24. key — the most important part

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